Latham & Watkins welcomed Jerome McCluskey to the firm as a partner in the banking and private equity finance practices.
McCluskey is resident in the New York office and looks forward to expanding his practice to Boston. He brings extensive experience advising private capital firms and their portfolio companies in complex domestic and cross-border leveraged finance and private credit transactions, including leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, bridge and mezzanine financings and debtor-in-possession (DIP) and exit facility financings.
“Jerome is widely recognized for his dynamic leadership at the intersection of the private equity and private credit markets, and we are excited to welcome him to Latham,” Marc Jaffe, office managing partner of Latham & Watkins in New York, said. “His comprehensive knowledge of the financing markets, innovative thinking and client-centric approach further expands the scale of our transactional offerings both in New York and globally.”
Most recently, McCluskey served as managing director, general counsel and chief compliance officer of Charlesbank Capital Partners, where he oversaw all legal aspects of day-to-day firm operations, including upper-tier and management company issues, fundraising, litigation, partnership arrangements, employment and advisory agreements, regulatory compliance and corporate governance, as well as private equity and private credit transactions, including supervising legal diligence and structuring various credit investments such as platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions and private credit investments. Prior to Charlesbank, McCluskey practiced at another global law firm, representing banks and other financial institutions in a diverse array of domestic and cross-border financing transactions.
“Jerome brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from both his in-house leadership role and private practice, and clients will benefit tremendously from his commercial insights, technical skills and collaborative approach,” Jeff Chenard, global chair of Latham & Watkins’ finance department, said. “He will be a significant contributor to our leading high-end finance practice, as we remain focused on growth and innovation to continue serving as a one-stop firm for clients on their most sophisticated transactions.”
“Latham’s global, interdisciplinary platform provides private capital clients with a true 360-degree view across diverse investment and financing strategies, and I am thrilled to be joining a renowned team with a long history of innovating and setting the standard of excellence in this space,” McCluskey said. “Few, if any, firms match Latham’s depth of experience in both traditional leveraged finance and private credit, and I have long admired Latham’s commitment to staying ahead of clients’ evolving needs.”
McCluskey received his JD from Stanford Law School and his BA from Harvard University.
